Book Description
At last, here is a book that tells the full story of the turning point in World War II’s Battle of the Bulge—the story of five crucial days in which small groups of American soldiers, some outnumbered ten to one, slowed the German advance and allowed the Belgian town of Bastogne to be reinforced. Alamo in the Ardennes provides a compelling, day-by-day account of this pivotal moment in America's greatest war.
Customer Reviews:
History Buff.......2007-09-03
I learned a lot about the men who fought at the beginging of the Battle Of The Bulge that I had not heard about before. This book is a must for anyone who has read other books about the Battle Of The Bulge.
Finally, recognition for the 28th Division.......2007-08-07
As a Pennsylvanian and the son of a member of the 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, I've long been familiar with the state's National Guard division history in both World Wars. This book is the best I've found to focus on the unit's major role in the Battle of the Bulge. Great details of their valiant stand against overwhelming German forces. With close-up descriptions of what the soldiers experienced, often in their own words, McManus has authored an important work for anyone interested in the face of battle as seen from the foxhole. Very good look at the tactics officers and men utilized to hold back the German attack "at all costs."
Another gutwrencher.......2007-06-18
While I don't usually like books that are entitled "The Untold Story of..., this one actually produces. I have read a of books on WW2, and in particular, on the battle of the bulge. My interest heightened when I found I had a family member who fought in the battle, but who I was unable to talk to about it before he passed.
Though many books have been written on the battle, none seem to really get it all together. Three have been written recently that don't attempt to cover the whole battle, but focus on the events surrounding smaller units, or even individual soldiers, and what the battle was like for them.
These three recent books are "Eleven Days in December", "The Longest Winter", and now "Alamo In The Ardennes. All just great books fully worthy of your time, but Alamo is a little different in that it attempts to give credit to the 28th Division for saving Bastogne, perhaps even more so than that of the 101st Airborne, the unit usually, and correctly, given most of the credit for the epic stand that broke the German offensive.
Read this excellently written book and you might tend to agree that the 28th deserves at least as much credit as the more famous 101st. You will also get probably as close as you ever will, from the written word, to underestanding what it was like for our 19 and 20 year old citizen soldiers caught in one of the most vicious battles of WW2. Were the young men of these divisions part of our greatest generation? Absolutely, they could have written that book themselves.
Excellent Book.......2007-05-29
I bought the book after seeing a story about it the alumni magazine of the university at which the author teaches history. I'm glad I did because it was an excellent book. I've read two other books on World War II including one by Stephen Ambrose and I would rate this one up there with Stephen Ambrose. I would definitely recommend the book.
Little known action that prepared for the 'saving' of the day.......2007-05-26
John McManus is establishing himself as one of the leading scholars in the Second World War genre. With his latest book, "Alamo in the Ardennes: The Untold Story of the American Soldiers Who Made the Defense of Bastogne Possible", McManus scores a solid hit, both in terms of enjoyable and readable prose, and relative to filling a void in the historical literature. Many WWII-oriented books of late have subtitles including the words "The Untold Story..." and too few live up to their own hype. By contrast, McManus' book does in fact tell an otherwise untold (at least as a complete narrative limited to the Bastogne corridor) story. This fact alone makes "Alamo in the Ardennes" worthy of a read by anyone interested in the Battle of the Bulge, since all are familiar with the stand of the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne - this gallant action is branded in the American psyche - but few likely have a good picture of how American forces already in Belgium slowed the German drive sufficiently to provide enough time for the praised (deserved) 101st to get from their base in Mourmelon, France to the critical crossroads town of Bastogne in order to defend against the eventual siege. In fact, as McManus argues, the actions of the US Army in the Bastogne corridor likely determined that the eventual siege of Bastogne was in fact a siege instead of a Blitz through the region as might have occurred had the Germans reached Bastogne early in strength.
The central characters in "Alamo in the Ardennes" are the combat soldiers of the 28th ('Bloodybucket') Infantry Division, Combat Command Reserve (CCR) of the 9th Armored Division, and Combat Command B (CCB) of the 10th Armored Division. While McManus also integrates information about coordinated actions with smaller unit of the 101st Airborne, most of story is focused on the aforementioned units and their variously attached commands. Topographically the story revolves not so much around Bastogne but the so called 'Bastogne corridor', which McManus defines as roughly the 25 mile front held by the 28th before the German attack - approximately from Lutzkampen on the north to Bettendorf and Reisdorf in the south. This area was extremely important from a tactical standpoint relative to the movement of armored and vehicular traffic, as the roads running west in this region are some of the best in the Ardennes and Eiffel; certainly the quickest and most direct route to Bastogne lead through this area. McManus in now way minimizes actions in other regions of the Ardennes (e.g., northern shoulder actions) or the siege of Bastogne itself, but rather presents a compelling and exciting story that focuses on men and places cites above.
In general the book follows a chronological format, which works well to tell the story McManus wishes to convey. He begins the formal discussion of events with some chronologically mixed views of the Ardennes and actions on the Allied side prior to, and during, the initial German attack phases. This 'preface' chapter places the whole of the "Bastogne corridor' in nice perspective relative to the larger Battle of the Bulge. With the exception of the final 'Postscript' (conclusionary/summary) chapter, McManus devotes each chapter to a single day of action, beginning with 15 December and ending with the 20th, when the formal siege of Bastogne. In chaptering his book in this fashion McManus is able to pull the reader along the events as they unfolded. On a less positive note, focusing material along chronological lines rather than unit or geographical lines makes for often 'choppy' prose that one has to 'think' about a bit sometimes. This criticism could have been lessened considerably had the excellent maps McManus provides been cross-referenced within the text and a greater effort at sectioning within chapters been made. Yet, these are not fatal flaws and the book still conveys an important story in a readable form, that while not necessary impossible to put down, is nonetheless compelling.
In addition to the chapters outlined above McManus also provides ~20 pages of abbreviated TO/OB, personnel and map information that many readers will find useful. McManus' 'Notes' section of the book is extremely thorough and detailed. The one criticism that this reviewer would however have would be that the Notes are not cited in a very useful fashion in the text proper. Large sections of prose with multiple (oft disconnected) references/citations are generally clumped together as single footnotes, making backtracking of McManus' research very difficult. Of course this is a minor criticism unless someone is trying to delve deeper into the topic, in which case this approach will certainly cause some anxiety.
All in all "Alamo in the Ardennes" is a solid and very thoroughly researched book that provides a new vision of the Battle of the Bulge, at least in terms of capturing the importance of the "Bastogne corridor' in the eventual defense of Bastogne by the 101st Airborne. 4.5 stars for academic standard, 4 for general reader accessibility - solid 4 star book.
Amazon.com
In April 1943, a young physicist named Robert Serber stood up before a small group of fellow scientists in a laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and, as one attendee later recalled, began to speak in "a hazy, uncertain voice" about the project on which they would all be working. "The object," he said, "is to produce a practical military weapon in the form of a bomb in which the energy is released by a fast neutron chain reaction in one or more of the materials known to show nuclear fission." That mechanism, of course, was the atomic bomb, which a little more than two years later would be used against Japan.
In the following weeks, Serber touched on many themes, racing to an array of chalkboards to scribble complex formulas and equations. Among other things, he addressed how big a bomb would need to be in order to achieve critical mass--between 13.5 centimeters and 9 centimeters, he calculated--and what the probability of premature detonation might be. (It was, he concluded, always a danger.) At the end of the series, his lecture notes, classified as top secret, were gathered and printed for distribution to later cadres of scientists who came to work at Los Alamos. Years after the war they were declassified, and Serber, who died in May of 1997, took the opportunity to reflect on his work and the strange culture of the laboratory, adding postscripts and other commentary reproduced in the present edition.
Serber's book is an important document in the history of science, and remains one of the most accessible introductions to nuclear physics ever written. (On that note, those who worry that it is all too easy to find bomb-building instructions in the library or on the Web should rest assured: these lectures were tough for the greatest theoretical physicists of the time to follow.) It all makes for provocative reading. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
The classified lectures that galvanized the Manhattan Project scientists--with annotations for the nonspecialist reader and an introduction by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian.
In March 1943 a group of young scientists, sequestered on a mesa near Santa Fe, attended a crash course in the new atomic physics. The lecturer was Robert Serber, J. Robert Oppenheimer's protégé, and they learned that their job was to invent the world's first atomic bomb.
Serber's lecture notes, nicknamed the "Los Alamos Primer," were mimeographed and passed from hand to hand, remaining classified for many years. They are published here for the first time, and now contemporary readers can see just how much was known and how terrifyingly much was unknown when the Manhattan Project began. Could this "gadget," based on the newly discovered principles of nuclear fission, really be designed and built? Could it be small enough and light enough for an airplane to carry? If it could be built, could it be controlled?
Working with Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the development of the atomic bomb, Professor Serber has annotated original lecture notes with explanations of the physics terms for the nonspecialist. His preface, an informal memoir, vividly conveys the mingled excitement, uncertainty, and intensity felt by the Manhattan Project scientists. Rhodes's introduction provides a brief history of the development of atomic physics up to the day that Serber stood before his blackboard at Los Alamos. In this edition, The Los Alamos Primer finally emerges from the archives to give a new understanding of the very beginning of nuclear weapons. No seminar anywhere has had greater historical consequences.
Customer Reviews:
The Los Alamos Primer: prime!.......2007-01-11
IANAP (I Am Not A Physicist), but the son of one who worked in Los Alamos some time after WWII ... definitely recommend this for those not intimidated by some equations. There's lots here without the match, and the more of it you can appreciate the more the insights. Serber's comments add a lot of perspective.
Great book on the physics of the bomb.......2004-01-15
This is a truly exciting book for people with the desire to understand bomb physics. This book consists out of the original lecture notes from a series of seminars given in 1943 to the bomb scientists at the start of the Manhattan Project. These lecture notes are clearly annotated so that a layman can understand the bomb. Although the book discusses mainly the knowledge of 1943, the clear annotations of the author comments also on the advances since 1943.
In this book you will learn to calculate the energy of an atomic bomb after already 5 pages using only one simple physical law (no, not Einstein!). When you are halfway in the book, you will understand the calculations of the critical mass.
However to fully appreciate the book, you need to have a basic understanding of mathematics and physics. (it would be nice if you know what a differential equation is.)
The book also contains several funny anekdotes which make it a truly astonishing reading.
Excellent!.......2003-04-09
Excellent book, it takes a bit to stick with it, but the modern day excerpts/perspectives threaded into the book give it a good historical perspective. This is a good combo to go together with Richard Rhodes "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" and "Dark Sun".
10 STARS! Essential reading.......2001-09-25
- for anyone seriously interested in our nuclear heritage, weaponeering, or the NWEPS program. Gives INCREDIBLE insight as to the minds and directions these young physicists were going.
This book is a must-read. Simple, concise, straightforward technically. You gotta read it, 'nuff said.
Fascinating.......2001-08-24
This is an incredible book. This is originally a compilation of Robert Serber's notes he gave to incoming scientists at Los Alamos in the 1940s, explaining to them the purpose of the Manhattan Project and the expected means by which they would achieve their goal. This particular copy, courtesy of the University of California Press, contains not only an introduction by Mr. Richard Rhodes (author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb - strongly recommended), but notes throughout the Primer itself by Robert Serber. It is fascinating to read comments on a document by the man who wrote it many years afterward. Be warned: This is NOT a how-to book, and does require some basic knowledge of calculus and physics. It is, however, unbelievably interesting, and worth the cost to add it to your collection.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
The end of the story, as Jesse gets to point out a few cold hard truths to various people, human and otherwise. Jesse gets to point out to God why he is such a big fat, loser. Cassidy gets a second chance at things again, even if perhaps he does not deserve it. Yes, Alamo is the end, and the last stand all rolled into one.
The Ending of All Endings.......2007-01-12
There's very little that could be said about ALAMO that nobody else might have said before. But among all the conclusions in the graphic novel world, PREACHER's takes the cake. Without a doubt the best ending and all around conclusion ever. It is imperative to readd the whole series to truly grasp this baby... so, if you haven't read it... DO IT NOW!!!
depending what you think the series' main conflict is, it's satisfying or not.......2006-10-21
The series started out with a simple premise (sort of): God quit; Jesse's gonna teach him a lesson. Then the events of Dixie Fried set up another conflict: Jesse vs. Cassidy. And throughout it all, the battle of the sexes raged on, via Jesse's desire to see Tulip unharmed vs. her independent streak. Alamo resolves one of the three conflicts in a very satisfactory manner, leaves one of them sort of hanging, and all but writes off the third.
If you read the series because you wanted to see Jesse take on The Almighty, you're in for a bit of disappointment. After all the buildup, the resolution of that conflict is resolved, as other reviewers have said, in a somewhat contrived way, through flashbacks and deus ex machinas (no pun intended). Furthermore, it leaves some MAJOR plot points unaddressed.
But if in reading the series, you grew to appreciate -- as I did -- the complex relationship of the three main characters, then Alamo's very satisfying and memorable. Though less flashy than the divine showdown, the interpersonal conflict actually actually most directly with the series' most important themes: forgiveness and salvation.
As the Saint of Killers said, back before he became what he is, "Why can a man not turn to doing good, without the Lord getting all mixed up in it?"
Great end to an epic story.......2006-08-23
When I picked up Preacher Vol. 9, I knew I was in for a treat. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 8 volumes and the 9th was also just as amazing. I think the deciding factor of why Preacher is so good is because Ennis and Dillon were able to produce a high-quality monthly comic for a period of 5 years. I do believe that Preacher is also better than the two "Greatest" comics of all-time, Watchmen and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Not only is it much longer, so there is more to enjoy about the series, but Preacher also contains action, romance, gore, violence, weirdness, love, religion, sex and an Irish vampire. What more could you ask for?
The End to a Classic.......2005-12-24
The ninth and final installment to the Preacher series, and the end to a classic. The team of insane genious writer Garth Ennis (Punisher, Hellblazer, Fury MAX) and his partner-in-crime, artist Steve Dillon have brought us another masterpeice, arguably the best Preacher.
Jesse's quest to find God, literally, has come to an end. Everybody has met their fate, Cassidy, Arseface, Starr, the Saint of Killers, God, and Jesse and Tulip. Everything have their own deserved endings. I don't want to tell too much of what happens, don't want to spoil it for anybody, you'll have to read it for yourself. This book is touching, beautiful, and of course still have Ennis's trademark dark humor, bizzareness, and violence. The art by Steve Dillon is stunning as usual, I think his work have become better as the series progressed. It's nice to see these two gentlemen work on this comic from start to finish, well Dillon didn't pencil the 4th Volume, but oh well.
A must have for a Preacher fan. Again, it's a mature book, don't purchase if you can be offended by eccesive violence, sexual themes, or profanity.
Book Description
Not made on this Earth:
"You are relating our physics to their crafts - can't do that. That was our mistake for many years. To get into outer space, they use THEIR system. To understand their system, you must understand their physics, which, at least during my time (1964-'96) we had problems with....."
"This craft was built many years before we developed flight. They used a different physics principle, that we still don't fully understand. We cannot duplicate the craft's material. We have nothing similar to that material on Earth....."
--We bring together a phenomenal number (meaning those who had direct TS/SCI/SAR access to highly classified UFO documents and facilities) of key and high level military, civilian and scientific professionals who played a pivotal role at the deepest levels of the UFO Cover-up.
So then, what is the Crystal Rectangle (wondrous new alien energy device) described by those Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) documents and mentioned by Richard Helms (one time CIA Director) along with multiple sources. What testing took place on the Space Shuttle and ISS with this Crystal Rectangle before the Columbia disaster?
Why is Los Alamos having so many problems with reverse-engineering, specifically, the anti-gravity (two tier) propulsion system and materials.
The Gate 3 Incident: who shot the alien?
--And, from the Roswell Incident of July 1947; where were the recovered artifacts kept at Wright-Patterson AFB? One government person lost his clearance over this. To add credence that something of tremendous importance was occurring in July 1947, we have from Edward Ruppelt's book The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, 1956 the following: "By the end of July 1947, the UFO security lid was down tight. The few members of the press who did inquire about what the Air Force was doing got the same treatment that you would get today if you inquired about the number of thermonuclear weapons stock-piled in the U.S.'s atomic arsenal. No one, outside of a few high-ranking officers in the Pentagon, knew what the people in the barbed wire enclosed Quonset huts that housed the Air Technical Intelligence Center (correcting Ruppelt, that should read T2 Intelligence of the Air Materiel Command) were thinking or doing," (Chapter 2, page 22).
--And, according to, "An Unfinished Life" (a book about JFK's life, 2003) there was an Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting at 10 am on October 24th, 1962. That same time/date is on a Project Jehovah Mj12 document approved by EXCOM.
A number of named sources (some of whom worked at Groom Lake for over 40 years) will tell their story of Area 51, S4, Aliens and a healthy JROD. The enhanced 2nd edition (Revised 2007) has been updated and corrected with 69 unique illustrations.
History Channel--Hangar 18: The UFO Warehouse. Sections of the book are featured in this show about Wright-Pat.
Book Description
"You are relating our physics to their crafts - can't do that. That was our mistake for many years. To get into outer space, they use THEIR system. To understand their system, you must understand their physics, which, at least during my time (1964-'96) we had problems with."..... We bring together a phenomenal number (meaning those who had direct TS/SCI/SAR access to highly classified UFO documents and facilities) of key and high level military, civilian and scientific professionals who played a pivotal role at the deepest levels of the UFO Cover-up. The information they deliver is startling but very much down to earth. So then, what is the Crystal Rectangle (wondrous new alien energy device) described by those Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) documents and mentioned by Richard Helms (one time CIA Director) along with multiple sources. What testing took place on the Space Shuttle and ISS with this Crystal Rectangle before the Columbia disaster? Then see why Los Alamos is having so many problems with reverse-engineering, specifically, the anti-gravity (two tier) propulsion system and materials. A number of named sources (some of whom worked at Groom Lake for over 40 years) will tell their story of Area 51, S4, Aliens and a healthy JROD. The enhanced 2nd edition has been updated and corrected with 69 unique illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
read all the other reviews.......2007-09-18
After having read the many top-notch reviews written here on Amazon, I cannot think of much else to add--it is all said so well in the rest of the reviews. However, I must point out that I still have a "bad taste in my mouth" from reading Linda Moulton Howe's An Alien Harvest years ago, because of the disinformation role played by (co-author) Richard Doty during her visit to Kirtland AFB back in 1983. Can we trust Mr. Doty now? Plus, I still remember the TV show "UFO Cover Up Live" and the joking comments of the host after Falcon (Doty?) mentioned how the EBE's like strawberry ice-cream.
There are a few inconsistencies involving the planet of origin of the EBE's, and in the location of the 1964 Holloman landing. Plus, can we really believe that project SERPO happened? How could humans make it back and forth to another star system in such a short time?
So, as with most books on UFO's, there is much information presented, but we cannot know for sure what, and how much, is true. It would certainly appear that this book has more truth than fantasy--let's hope!
"Exempt From Disclosure" - A Book Review by Robert D. Morningstar.......2007-09-15
A UFO Digest Book Review
By Robert D. Morningstar
(Copyright 2007, Robert D. Morningstar - All Rights Reserved)
"Exempt from Disclosure"
By Robert M. Collins
With Richard C. Doty and Timothy S. Cooper
It was in 1977, with the release of Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind," that the general public was given the first hints of a possible US Government-ET "student exchange program" between visiting extraterrestrials and the USG. As depicted in the film, 12 or so super-soldiers/super-airmen and a woman, dressed in red flight suits, received a blessing before departing on the mother ship with the ETs and others to visit an unnamed planet, the home planet of the alien race:
"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11)
This was my first inkling that something very unusual was really going on and that Steven Spielberg had been "chosen" to be a messenger of "UFO Disclosure" through the medium of public entertainment.
The idea was not new (rumors were around even then) but I was surprised at the mass medium chosen to divulge what must be considered the so-called "Cosmic Top Secret" (CTS). This slow, (one might say "time released") limited disclosure of the CTS had, in fact, been predicted by the great UFOlogist, Frank Edwards, during an interview that I saw as a high school student in 1967 on the legendary "Alan Burke Show" broadcast by WNEW-TV in New York City.
Edwards, author of "Flying Saucers - Serious Business" told his host, the erudite and sometimes acerbic Alan Burke, that he had learned of a Flying Saucer disclosure process to be implemented by the CIA in 7-year cycles, whereby the USG would reveal the extraterrestrial presence to the American public gradually through a series of books and, more importantly, films and television programs that would acclimate the general public, America first then the rest of the world, to prepare them for a paradigm shift that would begin in the late 1960s and 1970s.
This limited disclosure would come through mass media, depicting the nature of the alien presence slowly in order to avoid the repetition of another Orson Wells-style "War of the World" panic on a mass or global scale. As the years went by, Frank Edwards' prediction seemed to unfold like a self-fulfilling prophecy and right on schedule, according to his 7-year cycle schematic (beginning in 1969-70). Interestingly, the year 1977 marked the release of both "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind," almost like a "one-two punch" to the national psyche of the American people and, shortly thereafter, the rest of the world. It's effect on the public, like Spielberg's 5-part special "Taken" (released by the Sci-Fi Channel in 2005) was stunning.
Now, 2007, 30 years after Frank Edwards' prediction, "Exempt From Disclosure" (EFD 2nd Edition), written by retired U.S. Air Force Captain Robert M. Collins (former member of U.S. Air Force Intelligence-Foreign Technology Division) with Master Sgt. Richard C. Doty (former member of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, a.k.a. AFOSI) and Timothy S. Cooper, reveals details of the cryptic "student exchange program" (my term) referred to above in my introduction. According to Capt. Collins, it was called "Project Serpo," details of which are given in the final chapter.
I have been reading EFD slowly and methodically for the past month and have found it to be a remarkable account, supported by FOIA documents, several of which I have cross-correlated and corroborated with my own sources (from other FOIA released Blue Book/CIA/FBI files), which I have collected over a many years of researching both "Flying Saucers/UFOs" and arcane aspects of the John F. Kennedy Assassination.
During the course of the past 2 months, I have been in close contact with the principal author, Captain Robert M. Collins (USAF, Ret.), and have found him to be candid and direct in answering important questions, which I have posed to him during our almost daily, multiple exchanges of emails. In replying to all the questions that I posed to him, he has replied forthrightly. I have found no guile or trickery in him.
Through independent investigation (unbeknownst to him), I discovered 2 papers authored by "Captain Robert M. Collins (TQTR)" dealing with advanced aspects of Quantum Physics and Scalar Fields. When I asked Captl Collins if he had authored them and the meaning of the acronym (TQTR), he acknowledged authorship and without the slightest hesitation, responded:
"YES...both articles are by me...Rmc"
M* Question: If you are the same man, what is "TQTR"?
Collins: "Advanced Technology Branch at FTD (1980s) which was renamed in the nineties.....Rmc"
Capt. Collins' translation of `TQTR" as "Advanced Technology Branch at FTD" is a detail, which even the website posting the articles had labeled "Unknown" (see M* Note below). As we say in the argot: This man is "for real."
The monographs are:
1. "Soviet Research On The A-Vector Potential and Scalar Waves (U)"
2. "Soviet Research On Unified Field Theories, False Vacuum States, and Antigravity (U),"
M* Note: http://www.unusualresearch.com/scalarbib/scalarbib.htm
I highly recommend "Exempt From Disclosure" to anyone seriously interested in the subjects of UFOs, the Roswell Crash and Alien Autopsy, the nature of EBEs (Extraterrestrial Biological Entities 1 and 2) and the role of the Central Intelligence Agency and NSA in collecting, securing and containing the dissemination of the "CTS."
Of particular interest to me are Collins' detailed chapters dealing with the major figures at CIA who have directed the MJ-12 program since its inception. These were James Jesus Angleton, "head spook" of CIA's Counter Intelligence Division, Allan Dulles and Richard Helms, both of them DCIs (Directors of Central Intelligence) from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Another significant chapter in "Exempt From Disclosure," is one entitled "Physical Conditions, Characteristics and Anatomy of the Aliens." Having thoroughly studied the contents of the "MJ-12 Documents", "The Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit Report" (which mentions alien biology, as well as, "Congressman John F. Kennedy"), 2 versions of SOM-101 and the EBE biology report ascribed to Dr. Detlev Bronk, I have found this chapter by Collins, Doty & Cooper to contain significant details of alien biology, in particular, regarding their eyes, brain structures, digestive functions and kidney/bladders distinct from those of human beings.
I have a personal saying that "The Truth is Seamless" and disinformation is analogous to a tear in the fabric of truth, presenting a stumbling block and an obstruction to reason and logic, whereby one can recognize it and isolate it by cross-correlation with known facts.
Of course, in the final analysis, each individual must make up his own mind and derive his own conclusions but the important thing in arriving at a reasonable conclusion depends on the quality of the information being analyzed and so, no single source can be considered alone. One must seek out reliable information from many fields.
I have found "Exempt From Disclosure" to be a coherent and internally consistent account of 6 decades of "The Age of Flying Saucers" and a "must read" for anyone seriously interested in the subject. EFD may be an important part of Frank Edward's prediction (perhaps, signifying the threshold of the penultimate or the last) of the CIA's 7-year cycles to disclosure and confirms for me the importance of Edwards' original 1967 message, a warning to the American public:
"Flying Saucers - Serious Business."
Considering the sources and the documents contained therein, "Exempt From Disclosure" is not a book to be taken lightly.
Amazing UFO Research - A Must-Read Book !!.......2007-08-20
This book has prompted me to write my first review ever on Amazon. Countless books have been published on the subject of UFOs and/or extraterrestrials, many of them far from believable. Much material has also been written by UFO/ET debunkers (almost always denouncing the existence of these phenomena with hypotheses that are as ludicrous as the most ridiculous of UFO claims). This makes it difficult to locate honest and unbiased accounts that support the UFO phenomenon, and hard to sort the wheat from the chaff on this controversial subject. There is a great deal of subject matter in this book that is both compelling and convincingly presented. Exempt From Disclosure belongs in the library of any serious UFO researcher or enthusiast.
It certainly helps to have some background knowledge on the history of UFOs before tackling this book, as much of this subject material has been previously discussed in some form or another, but otherwise an open mind without preconceived notions will suffice. I don't think that anyone who has seriously researched the subject of UFOs can possibly deny their existence. Many of the concepts in Exempt From Disclosure require at least some willingness to believe that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials, and that our government has used extreme methods to cover this up. For neophytes, I would highly recommend first reading the excellent and recently-published Witness To Roswell by Thomas Carey and Donald Schmitt. This single (and historically most important) incident provides proof of all of the above, and Carey/Schmitt have delivered a slam-dunk in this case with their research, no doubt much to the chagrin of the many Roswell incident debunkers. But I'm here to talk about Exempt From Disclosure ...........
As mentioned, this book covers a lot of concepts that have been previously discussed in other works. So what makes Exempt From Disclosure so special? First and foremost, this is the work of a group of highly qualified individuals with many combined years of research and insider information, and in one form or another at least a dozen such gentlemen have contributed to this book. The author, Robert Collins, is a former Air Force Intelligence Officer. Richard Doty, who contributes much important information to this book and whose testimony is particularly compelling, is a former counter-intelligence agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Among the other contributors are a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel (Ernie Kellerstrass), TV producer (Jaime Shandera), and the co-author of the first book to expose the Roswell case (William Moore).
As he begins Chapter 4 of this book, Richard Doty states: "hype and exaggerations have been avoided at all costs". That pretty much perfectly describes the approach throughout this entire book. You can read other reviews on Amazon to get a better idea of all the subjects covered, which are sundry. A recent (and as I write this, the only) less-than-stellar Amazon review describes this book as essentially covering only two basic topics, but in defense of the author, this simply is not the case -- a myriad of subjects are included here, with many fresh approaches to the material covered. My own favorite sections of the book deal with the 3 documented EBEs (Extraterrestrial Biological Entities), and the book includes what has to be the most convincing photo of an EBE to date, as well as CIA documents discussing EBE-2. Among many other eye-opening topics is a discussion of an extraterrestrial energy device, small in size but capable of supplying high levels of energy. There are a number of intriguing Defense Intelligence Agency documents presented which detail efforts to duplicate the device. A wealth of corroborating information is scattered throughout the book, including photos, illustrations, and government documents (both declassified and NOT declassified) - much of which, to my knowledge, has not been made available elsewhere. I can't say that I agree whole-heartedly with everything that I have read in this book, but I do embrace much of what is presented here and at the very least believe that there is some basis in truth to just about everything that is discussed. And that is, I believe, exactly what the author of and contributors to this book had hoped to achieve - to present in as honest a manner as possible the facts as they know them, back their findings with as much documentation as possible, and allow the reader to draw his own conclusions. No attempt is ever made to shove this information down the reader's throat. The believability of the subject matter in Exempt From Disclosure benefits from this straight-forward manner of reporting, and is further strengthened by the reliability and experience of Mr. Collins and his numerous insider resources.
My overall impression is that this is the work of a very earnest and dedicated group of men who wish only to uncover and reveal the truth. Kudos to Robert Collins for not only assembling this book, but for the courage required to publish it. I consider Exempt From Disclosure to be a work of tremendous importance, and hope that more research from Mr. Collins and his colleagues is forthcoming. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Where's the beef?.......2007-08-06
I don't understand all these glowing reviews. This book starts with a great premise, to make a case for the UFO cover up. Then, it doesn't deliver. What is exempt from disclosure? Approximately half the book is an rambling expose on supposed members of MJ-12, a project that many believe does not exist, as such, if at all. Then the second half is a collection of speculations about what may or may not be in the basement at Wright-Patterson and elsewhere. The only chapter that I found interesting was section III, ch 3, discussing how "alien" physics is not the same as "our" physics and why we have not been able to duplicate their propulsion system, material, etc. That alone would have made a great book. Yet the tidbits offered here only corroborate information already in the public domain by Bernhard Haisch, Pierre Geurin, and Wilbur Smith (see Good's Above Top Secret). But what's exempt about that?
solid review of history.......2007-08-01
Robert M. Collins takes the reader on a sentimental journey thru some of the most amazing interactions between residents of the earth and beings from who really knows where. I have read a great deal of publications related to the black world of UFOs, some that touch subjects that Mr. Collins writes about but lack the detail backed by government documentation. I found this to be an excellent well written book. This book would be great for anyone interested in UFOs even if you have read or have many of the books available it is a wonderful addition to ones collection. I am not sure if the author autographs every copy , he did in fact do so on my copy and I must say it will be in a special spot in my collection. Thank you Robert M. Collins
Book Description
The classic story of the siege of the Alamo, as told for young readers. Originally published in 1958, thousands of children each year enjoy this story from the unique point of view of twelve-year old Billy Campbell.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic adventure, moving tribute.......2007-04-27
I don't know how I managed to pick up this book and not realize how terribly sad the battle of the Alamo would be. Somehow I did, and was taken by surprise by the courage of the men who held the fort despite the hopelessness. It's an amazing story, and Margaret Cousins writes the characters with depth, common sense and yet, with that almost supernatural tenacity.
In following the journey of a boy to a man in the face of war, you also get a wonderful, valuable look at the reason "Remember the Alamo!" is still a battle cry today. To "Remember the Alamo!" is to remember the best part of man, that divine part of ourselves that can be inspired to resist, even unto death, for that which is worthy.
Great For Texas History!.......2005-07-23
I teach fourth grade Texas History, and this is an excellent book to help students understand what it might have been like during this time period in Texas.
Mother and son review.......2002-10-08
My 4th grade son and I loved this book! It's a great read with lots of excitement and emotion. My son read it first and loved it so much I decided I wanted to read it. I had trouble putting it down. It's an absolute must for kids and adults.
A 4th Grader Review.......2002-02-13
The reason I put four stars is because it was sad. Whenever I think of the Boy in the Alamo, I think of my grandfather. My grandfather died in World War 1, so I never met him. Boy in the Alamo was good, my favorite part is when Billy said he'd look for Lupe his whole life.
Loved it!.......2002-02-13
Loved it! It could not get any better!! I liked Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie and Santa Anna! It shows and tells you everything just like the Alamo. Even though it was just told through the mind of a 12 year old boy, it was still the best book. The story really shows what the Alamo was like. It was blazingly awesome with fantasy and real scenes. The pictures were great! I would give this book six stars, if I could. I couldn't resist to say no to this book!
Average customer rating:
- It's not about Los Alamos
- No text distracts from the full-page photographs
- Insanely great photography
- Spectacular book!
|
Los Alamos
William Eggleston
Manufacturer: Scalo Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 3908247691 |
Book Description
"I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important," William Eggleston once said. This radical attitude guided his ground-breaking work in color photography, work that has prefigured many recent developments in art and photography. Los Alamos presents a series of photographs that has never before been shown, yet it contains a blueprint of Eggleston's aesthetics, his subtle use of subdued color hues, the casual elegance of his trenchant observations of the mysteries of the mundane. The photographs in Los Alamos were shot in Eggleston's native Memphis and on countless road trips across the American South from 1964 to 1968 and from 1972 to 1974. Initially, Eggleston wanted to create a vast compendium of more than 2000 photographs to be contained in 20 volumes; he wanted the viewer to look at the photographs the way one looks at the world. He eventually abandoned this project--and hardly any of the negatives were ever printed. Now, 30 years later, we finally get to see a selection of this encyclopedia of Southern everyday life and vernacular culture. It's a stunning discovery that makes the so-called snapshot photography of recent years pale in comparison. Eggleston's astonishingly timeless portraits, still lives, landscapes, and photographs of buildings add up to a profound investigation of the world and our way of looking at it, a poetics of pleasures hidden in full view. They transcend the merely descriptive and uncover the universal encapsulated in the details and the detritus of life in a consumer culture. Published in collaboration with Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
One of the few genuises in photography. --Andy Grundberg
The world is so visually complicated that the word "banal" scarcely is very intelligent to use. All days are similar, no matter what part of this planet we're in. --William Eggleston
Essays by Walter Hopps and Thomas Weski.
Hardcover, 11.75 x 11 in., 224 pages, 97 color illustrations
Customer Reviews:
It's not about Los Alamos.......2003-08-21
The photos in this book are not about Los Alamos, New Mexico. Although some of them may have been taken there, many--maybe most--are from Eggleston's familiar Deep South. One is done in an airplane flying over God-knows-where.
But the photos aren't about the locations. They are about color. And the main colors are red, white and blue.
If Eggleston's "...Guide" was photographed under the influence of the design of the Confederate flag (as Eggleston has claimed), then the framework and inspiration for this book are the colors of the American flag.
Robert Frank's monotone classic "Americans" had the underlying theme of the American flag. Eggleston's "Los Alamos" uses the colors of the flag as a motif. Shot over the years 1966 through 1974, there is a range of emotions within the photographs. There is cynicism--those were times ripe with cynicism--but there is also much found to admire in the American landscape at that time. Particularly the richness of the colors portrayed in the most banal and commonplace of subjects. In this arena, few photographic artists compare with William Eggleston.
No text distracts from the full-page photographs.......2003-07-26
Los Alamos is a full-color, 175-page, photographic portrait of a New Mexican town. These images, captured on film by master photographer William Eggleston, range from 1966 to 1974 and superbly capture the ups, downs, scenery, and close-ups of a living, breathing city. No text distracts from the full-page photographs, which are presented as the works of art they are. This large sized compendium is a welcome and recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Photography collection.
Insanely great photography.......2003-07-23
Eggleston is a bit of a mystery. His photographs make you open your eyes wide and say, "Wow!" but it's hard to say what it is about them that is so stunning. This book is the best thing he has published to date and it offers the clearest window into Eggleston's genius that I've seen. Reproduced on large pages in rich colors that leap out and shake you until you splutter, these pictures bypass the intellect and kick your sense of raw beauty like a mule with a belly full of habaneros.
It's clear to you that the beauty is all about the color, or is it? What's happening with the composition? Soemthing is at the tip of your tongue, but try as you might, you can't say what makes these pictures so obviously works of great genius.
When you calm back down and try to figure how a book of pictures that look almost like snapshots could sting you so hard, the accompanying essay by Thomas Weski gives the best account of Eggleston's work that I've seen to date---short, but clearer and more insightful than Janet Malcolm's meditation on color and snapshots in Diana and Nikon or Eudora Welty's introduction to The Democratic Forest.
Spectacular book!.......2003-06-21
This book is stunning! A large number of Eggleston's photographs beautifully printed on good paper. "Los Alamos" is one of the best photography books I have seen in years.
Book Description
In late February and early March of 1836, the Mexican Army under the command of General Antonio López de Santa Anna besieged a small force of Anglo and Tejano rebels at a mission known as the Alamo. The defenders of the Alamo were in an impossible situation. They knew very little of the events taking place outside the mission walls. They did not have much of an understanding of Santa Anna or of his government in Mexico City. They sent out contradictory messages, they received contradictory communications, they moved blindly and planned in the dark. And in the dark early morning of March 6, they died.
In that brief, confusing, and deadly encounter, one of America's most potent symbols was born. The story of the last stand at the Alamo grew from a Texas rallying cry, to a national slogan, to a phenomenon of popular culture and presidential politics. Yet it has been a hotly contested symbol from the first. Questions remain about what really happened: Did William Travis really draw a line in the sand? Did Davy Crockett die fighting, surrounded by the bodies of two dozen of the enemy? And what of the participants' motives and purposes? Were the Texans justified in their rebellion? Were they sincere patriots making a last stand for freedom and liberty, or were they a ragtag collection of greedy men-on-the-make, washed-up politicians, and backwoods bullies, Americans bent on extending American slavery into a foreign land?
The full story of the Alamo -- from the weeks and months that led up to the fateful encounter to the movies and speeches that continue to remember it today -- is a quintessential story of America's past and a fascinating window into our collective memory. In A Line in the Sand, acclaimed historians Randy Roberts and James Olson use a wealth of archival sources, including the diary of José Enrique de la Peña, along with important and little-used Mexican documents, to retell the story of the Alamo for a new generation of Americans. They explain what happened from the perspective of all parties, not just Anglo and Mexican soldiers, but also Tejano allies and bystanders. They delve anew into the mysteries of Crockett's final hours and Travis's famous rhetoric. Finally, they show how preservationists, television and movie producers, historians, and politicians have become the Alamo's major interpreters. Walt Disney, John Wayne, and scores of journalists and cultural critics have used the Alamo to contest the very meaning of America, and thereby helped us all to "remember the Alamo."
Download Description
San Antonio, Texas, 1836. A Mexican army led by Santa Anna attacks a small fort called the Alamo. Disputes still rage over exactly what happened, why it happened, and how it should be remembered. Indeed, the battles fought over the memory of the Alamo have been almost as fierce as their subject. In a riveting combination of history and cultural analysis, historians Randy Roberts and James N. Olson blend a rich narrative of the battle -- told from the perspectives of both the Anglo and Mexican troops -- drawing from a wide range of sources, including newly released documents from Mexican military archives and just-discovered pages of the famous de la Pena diary. Still controversial after all these years, the events at the Alamo pose some fascinating questions: Did Crockett really die a hero, or did he surrender before a summary execution? And why have Americans built a shrine for an event that lasted no more than ninety minutes, and inflated it into one of the country's biggest tourist attractions? A full explanation of the San Antonio encounter requires a peeling back of many layers. With powerful writing, Roberts and Olson retell the story of a great American myth, and show how and why it endures. This original volume is sure to change the way readers "Remember the Alamo".
Customer Reviews:
An astute and well written history book........2007-03-07
It was a pleasure to read this book, very informative, well researched and finely written. Whatever your views are of the Alamo and its place in the history of Texas; this book was written by two astute historians with a careful attention to detail with reasoned views and opinions.
Brief but informative and concise histories are given of Travis, Crockett, Bowie, Santa Anna and the events that lead them to a common junction at the Alamo in 1836. My only exposure to the Alamo before this book was the John Wayne movie, so it was great to be able to read this professional account of the history of the Alamo and also its post history into the 21st century.
The authors also make the valid point that native Indians occupied Texas for hundreds of years before any Spanish, Mexican or Anglo claims on it. The history of Texas comes alive in this book and the authors have done a great job as this book is flows smoothly and logically and is accessible to the general history buff.
Good for Most.......2007-01-12
It was no big surprise to read about Santa Anna's negative effects on Mexico. Once you get through the first part of the book you'll have an easier time turning the pages.
Even for a native Texan, the book was definitely not what you'd expect of Travis if you've watched too many Alamo movies. If you're from South Texas you'll probably be surprised when you get near the end of the book.
The story of the battle and politicians of the time was quite interesting and kept my interest more than most parts. It's worth reading, but make sure to visit the Texan Cultures Institute too.
Good history.......2005-09-30
I was assigned to read this in a Texas history class at UT Arlington. So I expected it to be the typical politically correct, leftist, white-bashing I'd grown so accustomed to. I was pleasantly surprised. This book is honest and fair with all sides. It's what historians should strive for because it doesn't take sides. Roberts goes after truth, no matter who gets offended. And yes, sometimes that's the Mexicans. I was shocked to learn all about how Col. Travis abandoned his family, but I was impressed by his courage to the end. Now I feel certain that Santa Ana is the worst thing that ever happened to Mexico. And some of his generals were skilful enough to have won the war and honorable enough to have not executed Texas POWs. I highly recommend the book for anyone who wants to understand this major piece of American history.
Nice broad perspective.......2004-06-08
Just because this book does not agree 100% with Jeff Long is no reason to condemn it. A topic like the Alamo is supposed to include room for debate and disagreement. Although the book may have been written partly in response to Long's version of the Alamo, I feel it also serves as a viable alternative to the current dominant historiography on the Alamo (Hardin and Huffines are good, but they would agree, I think, that theirs is not the "last word"). This is a balanced account which, as other reviewers have noted, includes a complete post-1836 history of the Alamo. A good example of the common-sense historical honesty in this book comes in part of the authors' treatment of the Crockett debate: "...what had been the end of Davy Crockett?...Scores of people had an answer to the question, but their answers banged against one another, knocking silly any hope of discovering the truth."(p.196) There will never be a "last word" on the Alamo, but I do recommend this book to those interested in the topic.
Spreading the Myth.......2004-04-20
Do not be fooled by what this book aspires to be. The authors claim this is an even-handed, accurate retelling of the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, but it adds nothing new to the oversimplified accounts you'd find in a 4th grade Texas history book.
The book tries still portrays the Alamo defenders as flawless men of great honor... mythical heroes fighting for a just cause. They try to argue that the Texas Revolution was similar to the American Revolution. They could not be further from the truth; The two events had little in common. The Texas Revolution consisted of a group of opportunistic American settlers who took advantage of the internal turmoils in Mexico at the time to seize a piece of property they had long set their eyes on. It was a prime example of Manifest Destiny at it's most voracious, if you'd like to put a label on it.
The Mexican side of the story gets lost in this book, despite the authors' claim at being unbiased. If you'd like to read an informative book on the subject, pick up Jeff Long's "Duel of the Eagles". That book is indeed an eye-opener (at least for the open-minded). On the other hand, this book might as well had been written by the Daughters of the Texas Revolution for distribution at the Alamo gift shop! It's a badly written history book.
Book Description
In 1943, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant, charismatic head of the Manhattan Project, recruited scientists to live as virtual prisoners of the U.S. government at Los Alamos, a barren mesa thirty-five miles outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Thousands of men, women, and children spent the war years sequestered in this top-secret military facility. They lied to friends and family about where they were going and what they were doing, and then disappeared into the desert. Through the eyes of a young Santa Fe widow who was one of Oppenheimer's first recruits, we see how, for all his flaws, he developed into an inspiring leader and motivated all those involved in the Los Alamos project to make a supreme effort and achieve the unthinkable.
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgia.......2007-08-23
I was a pre-teen during WWII living on a farm and was negatively impacted by all of the bad news coming out of the war. Not until the last year of the war, did the US seem to be winning. The scenario was not terribly different than we are hearing today.
Against this background, I am always interested to read details of what was actually happening in various elements of the war effort. 109 East Palace is one of those marvelous reads of men and women accomplishing wonders that helped to bring the war to an end. This is better than science fiction!
Fills in the human side of Los Alamos.......2007-03-04
I've always been fascinated by the wartime development of the atomic bomb, and I've read a number of mostly technical works such as "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. Many of the scientists and engineers who were at Los Alamos have written stories and memoirs of the events at Los Alamos, but "109 East Palace" does a great job of filling in the human details of the people who worked and lived at Los Alamos from 1943-1945.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Dorothy McKibbin, a young widow and mother who Robert Oppenheimer hired to run the office (109 East Palace Street) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through which people and supplies funneled into Los Alamos. Through her eyes, the chaos and horrific conditions of crowding thousands of people into a site intended for only a few hundred gave me a much greater appreciation for what was accomplished in such a short time.
The book follows the timeline of events at Los Alamos, with many anecdotes and characterizations of the key people there. It's a fascinating story of a disparate group of scientists and engineers from different backgrounds working together for one purpose and succeeding. The atomic bomb was developed, of course, and two bombs forced the Japanese to surrender, ending World War II. The author follows up on postwar events, especially the life of Robert Oppenheimer up until his death in 1967.
Some excellent photographs really bring the places and people in the story to life.
Highly recommended if you're interested in the development of the first nuclear weapons.
Dad loved it.......2006-11-06
I got this for my dad, who lived in Mountainair as a child, somewhat fascinated by the news that drifted over from the Los Alamos facility. I always struggle to think of gifts for him, and I feel I've succeeded when I find a book that qualifies as a page-turner in his hands. This one definitely did, and from the little I read of it I can see why.
A Little Bit of History.......2006-11-05
This is an easy to understand, informative book about Los Alamos and the making of the atomic bomb. It would have been better if the book covered more of the aftermaths of the dropping of the bomb. After reading the book, one is inclined to want to learn more about the bomb, and the Cold War.
Lifting the Veils of Secrecy Surrounding the Manhatten Project.......2006-08-22
This book should be read in conjunction with: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II.
Both are by the same author and she covers the who, what, when, where, why of the major advances in physics and the theorectical and the technological races to win the Second World War. .
By thoroughly researching the viewpoints of many observers and participants in the Manhattan Project and the development of radar , she mined the facts and melds them and presents the reader more insights into the personalities and politics as well as the sciences than most (if not all) of the participants could themselves.
For those of us who experienced the depression and WWII but who never learned how the Atom Bomb and Radar came to be and how the Allies won the war technologically, these books are priceless.
The virtual battalions of unsung heroes are presented in context.
These two books also show how history should be researched and presented in order to be understood and factual too.
If you have children or grandchildren, buy copies for them to keep and read many times to grasp the evolution of the bomb and radar and to begin to understand how wars are really won or lost years before they start.
Customer Reviews:
Overly Cynical Revisionism Detracts from the Work.......2006-07-07
The book provides a nice in-depth overview of the origins of the conflict between the Mexicans and the Texans. The description of the conflict and the Alamo Battle itself, are also well done. Unfortunately, the revisionism is written from one of the most cynical perspectives I have ever read in my entire life, and detracts from the quality of the work. To the reader, it seems that author casts most every person in the History of this conflict as overly self-serving in their motives, and contemptuous of everyone else. Any source of human conflict -- even between the various races of people within the Mexican Army -- is amplified as overly divisive. One can forget any hint of Crockett, Bowie or Travis possessing even a scintilla of idealism or purity in motive. In fact, with little exception, hardly any person within the book seems to possess many mentionable good qualities, according to the author. Long seemingly strives to debunk the myths, but in my view he is too harsh in trying to eviscerate people's characters. If you are searching for a work which validates your most cynical view not only of the Alamo but of most of the entire human race, this book will not disappoint you.
Revisionist.......2006-04-03
Some revisionist points need to be made in the interest of the whole truth, but the author is one-sided to a fault. The book is glib, full of sweeping statements, a work of opinion and propaganda, not history.
In our time, people are so used to the idea of the U.S. as the great world power that they may have trouble in understanding that in the 1830s, on the world stage, the U.S. was a minor, upstart country with an uncertain future. Mexico, on the other hand, even after its disastrous War of Independence, was perceived as the heir apparent of the fabled wealth of New Spain. Hindsight is made out to be 20-20 vision, but it is not if it prevents one from understanding how things were and how they were perceived at the time. In this way, our knowledge of what was then the future can impede our understanding of the past.
Nothing ever changes.......2004-10-29
It seems that americans have been heroicly saving the world in the name of freedom and liberty since the beginning of their glorious history. They just wanted to liberate the mexican peasants from tyranie just like they are liberating the iraquis today.
God bless the U.S.A indeed.
Finally, an honest look at Texas' sacred cow.......2004-04-19
I find Jeff Long's retelling of the Alamo fable refreshingly (if brutally) honest and well documented. He debunks alot of of the myths that surround the Battle of the Alamo. He is particarly good at providing an extensive background to the conflict. Growing up in Texas, and studying the state's History in the 4th and 7th grade, it was never too clear what the reasons behind the war were. All I was told is that a group of brave men stood fast against unsurmountable tyranny and sacrified their lives for the ultimate price of freedom. But to say that the Texas revolution was a war for independence is oversimplifying the issue... it is like saying the Civil War was just a war to end slavery. Now, some folks are fine with these simple definitions... and if you are the type of person that likes their history in neat little anecdotes and who wants their heroes to wear white and their villains to wear black, then this might not be the book for you. Reading through it the first time, I was sure that just as it opened my eyes it was going to get others very angry. Over the years, discussing this books with others that have read it has revealed this to be true.
There are many out there that feel this is book is biased and inflammatory. This could be true if Mr. Long was simply stating an opinion. But, the book is extremely well researched, and all his sources are listed for the world to see. If you don't think he is being fair in his assessment of the conflict, then look up the sources... he is not hiding anything. If it is biased, it certainly is not more so than the history books we were given to read at school. In fact, those books carried more of an agenda, and Mr. Longs account is far more accurate and even-handed.
Some legends are hard to die, and I am sure that regardless of how many books like this one are written some people will continue believing that Crockett died in a blaze of glory with his coonskin hat still on his head, and that Travis and Bowie were freedom loving martyrs that had no human fault. I applaud Mr. Longs for providing a well-researched alternative to this view, and for giving us an extensive background on the events and ideologies that lead to the conflict and the consequences that followed. If you are a real history buff that is interested in facts and who likes to get the larger picture, this book is definitely recommended. If not... then I suggest just sticking to John Wayne's 1960 melodrama for familiarity. It's available on DVD on this website as well, I'm sure.
Beautifully written, marvelous scholarship.......2004-04-19
This book is an accomplishment on many fronts. It digs where no one else wants to dig, which is the true hallmark of a historian. It reveals truths that entrenched and calcified communities wish to hide -- a sign of high scholarship and meaningful journalism. Best of all, it is wonderfully written. Jeff Long spends as much time providing ambience and atmosphere than the usual historian. You are transported there. This book is much more interesting that the childish fairytales surrounding the Alamo and Texas "independence." Thanks for expecting that your readers are adults. You won't find any pandering in this book.
Book Description
This volume is a lucid and accurate history of the technical research that led to the first atomic bombs. The authors explore how the "critical assembly" of scientists, engineers, and military personnel at Los Alamos, responding to wartime deadlines, collaborated to create a new approach to large-scale research. The book opens with an introduction laying out major themes. After a synopsis of the prehistory of the bomb project, from the discovery of nuclear fission to the start of the Manhattan Engineer District, and an overview of the early materials program, the book examines the establishment of the Los Alamos Laboratory, the implosion and gun assembly programs, nuclear physics research, chemistry and metallurgy, explosives, uranium and plutonium development, confirmation of spontaneous fission in pile-produced plutonium, the thermonuclear bomb, critical assemblies, the Trinity test, and delivery of the combat weapons.
Customer Reviews:
Critical Assembly - an important reference book.......2007-01-22
Hoddeson, Henriksen, Meade & Westfal
Critical Assembly, ISBN 0-521-54117-4
Cambridge University Press, 2004
The title of the book has double meaning. It denotes the critical assembly of uranium 235, or plutonium 239 to start the chain reaction in an atomic bomb. But it also points to the »critical« assembly of numerous scientists, engineers, technicians and US Army personnel. The authors described how in a race with time all these experts were pursuing a single objective: to make an atomic bomb before the Nazi scientists could (supposedly) do it. Each of them was working in his or her special field, but only a handful of the privileged ones knew they were making an atomic bomb. The resolute, competent and mercilessly hard driving conductor of this huge orchestra was General Leslie R. Groves; its concertmaster was the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. To carry on this parable, the musicians - with rare exceptions - were obliged to play their scores with plugged ears. The conductor allowed them to know only their own score, because the whole composition named MED (Manhattan Engineering District) must not become known before the end of the war.
Though the fission was discovered in Germany (in the winter 1938/39) many Jewish scientists, being suppressed under Nazi-fascist reign, had left Europe as soon as they could. Among them A. Einstein, H. Bethe, R. Peierls, C. Fuchs (unfortunately also a soviet spy), N. Bohr, E. Teller, E. Wiegner, L. Szilard, E. Fermi and J. von Neumann, to name just the most important ones, arrived in the USA, where they contributed essentially to MED. When Groves began leading the project, it started advancing like an avalanche. What in 1939 was deemed to be a science fiction has become a real bomb within just six years.
To quench the thirst for information after the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August 6, 1945, Henry de Wolf Smyth of MED had prepared the book "Atomic Energy for Military Purposes". In it the most basic knowledge of how an atomic bomb works, as well as the enormous effort of MED to make it, was made public. But in its preface Groves attached a latch, telling us this is all, which can be released at the time; take it, do not ask any further questions - or else! Though many books published after this date had disclosed this or that, the book "Critical Assembly" has definitely broken that latch by disclosing many minute details, which were classified almost up to present time. In the book we learned how the scientists and other personnel, forced to work under the circumstances as outlined above, starting with micrograms of highly enriched uranium 235 and (up to then non existent) plutonium, have gradually extended the production up to kilogram quantities, determined the critical masses, avoided the nuclear explosion, and had managed to build two combat-ready weapons, which ended the war. The details will certainly be interesting for physicists as well as for engineers of chemistry, electronics, metallurgy, mechanics, ordnance and some others. For the layman the minute descriptions would be mostly too difficult to understand and the same might be valid even for professionals, if the matter lies too far outside of their specialty. But as a whole, the book is a great work of reference, with an enormous collection of interesting data, not known so far. On top of all this the book has 74 pages of references.
Unfortunately, the Department of Energy was too thorough when removing many "sensitive data" from the original text. Initially numerous details became gradually scarce when the discussion advanced toward August 1945. However, some common sense and simple calculations, based on the data published in many other books, magazines and films, converge to the following conclusions: Approximately 10 lbs (4.53 kg) of plutonium was used in the Fat Man and 70 lbs (31.75 kg) of 88 % enriched uranium 235 in the Little Boy bomb. In the uranium bomb the active material of about 3 critical masses was divided into 4 projectiles and one equilateral cylindrical target, with holes to fit the projectiles, placed inside the massive tungsten steel tamper. When three critical masses are assembled, the chain reaction starts spontaneously within about 0.1 s; so an initiator (with dangerously radioactive polonium 210) is basically not needed. Why was such data not mentioned in the book, which is full of less important details? Today nobody would waste so much precious, highly enriched uranium by not resorting to implosion, which needs less than one critical mass. On the other hand, the metallurgy of plutonium is a science in itself and so is the implosion. So why be so scared?
Peter Staric, PhD, BSEE
Ljubljana, Slovenia
The first or last book to read on the atomic bomb.......2006-03-04
Depending of your technical proficiency.
Engineers or physicists will love it as an introduction to the Manhattan Project, and would subsequently read Rhodes excellent books to get a larger view.
Critical Assembly will allow non-technical people to understand the degree of complexity of this undertaking.
Being of the latter kind, I naturally read almost every other book about the subject, before resigning myself to buy this one. It's been a very pleasant surprise to find out that it's very readable. You will not get everything from the very detailled technical processes described but it's comforting to understand that at that time, they didn't either.
The main feeling throughout the book amounts to "oh, those people where in the dark most of the time, you could almost say it's been really incidental that they pulled it out in the end".
You precisely get how tedious this has been and how sparks of individual genius have made it possible at all.
The cover is pink, though.
Read Richard Rhodes' "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" First........2003-07-14
Without doubt, this is the finest account of the technical aspects of the race to produce an atomic weapon at Los Alamos before the end of WWII. As other reviewers have noted, you don't need a degree in physics to read this book; however, you do need endurance.
"Critical Assembly" is a plodding, straightforward, chronological narrative of how talent and materials came together to make a bomb; a techno-nerd's dream. There is no attempt to delve into politics and ethics, make the characters "come alive" with interesting personal glimpses, or place it all in historical perspective. For that you need Richard Rhodes' "The Making of the Atomic Bomb."
Still, the authors did not write "Critical Assembly" to be a riveting historical novel soon to be a blockbuster movie. For technical information, it is the best single book available. To understand why anyone would care how the atomic bomb was made, let alone plod through the technical details, read "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" first.
The Greatest Technical Achievement of the 20th Century.......2001-07-09
This book is THRILLING in the scope and depth of its description of HOW the bomb was made. This was a unique historical event in that the best brains in the world, stimulated by a sense of extreem urgency and given, in effect, unlimited physical and financial resources accomplished in the space of three years somthing that in the 1930's was considered as Science Fiction.
The book is highly readable and understandable by non technical people. This book is proof that "once upon a time" we did things "Right the First Time" in this country. An outstanding historical and technical account of the "ultimate" invention.
Story of one of the most complex projects ever undertaken.......2001-06-01
Very well written and does not overwhelm the reader with technical minutia. This is an excellent companion to Richard Rhodes' The Making of the Atomic Bomb and will please any student of the history of science.
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